Winfield Errs, Then Angels Take Big Fall : Baseball: Outfielder’s misplay ends team’s chance to tie record for consecutive errorless games. Palmeiro’s three-run homer in the 13th gives Texas a 7-4 victory.

The Angels were playing Saturday night’s game against the Texas Rangers with a chance to tie the major league record for errorless games, and more important to them, a chance to move within one game of the Minnesota Twins, who lead the American League West.

The Angels lost their shot at the record on Dave Winfield’s error in the ninth, and the night was ruined completely when Rafael Palmeiro’s three-run home run in the top of the 13th gave the Rangers a 7-4 victory over the Angels in front of 41,708 at Anaheim Stadium.

The Angels, who had a chance to tie the major league record of 15 consecutive errorless games, lost that chance on an error that very nearly cost the game as well.

With two out and the score 4-4, reliever Jeff Robinson gave up what seemed a harmless groundball single to right. But Winfield--who had not committed an error this season--allowed it to roll under his glove, and the batter, Ruben Sierra, took second on the play.

Sierra took third on Robinson’s wild pitch, and after Robinson walked Julio Franco intentionally, watched Robinson throw a second wild pitch. Catcher Lance Parrish scrambled to retrieve it, tossing the ball back to Robinson at the plate in time to prevent Sierra from scoring, although Franco took second.

Robinson went to a full count on Juan Gonzalez, the next batter, who finally flied to left, where Luis Polonia ran in to make the catch.

The Angels went down in order for the first time in the game in the ninth, with Winfield striking out swinging to allow the game into extra innings.

Texas put runners on first and second before Brian Downing grounded out to end the 10th, and the Angels got a runner as far as first.

The Angels, who had not commited an error in 141 consecutive innings dating to June 12, when Wally Joyner was charged with a fielding error on a pickoff play, had set an American League record with 14 errorless games in a row.

The error was Winfield’s first since last Aug. 8, a stretch of 105 games.

The major league record is held by the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals, who tied the mark earlier this season.

The Angels’ starting pitcher, Chuck Finley, was not at his sharpest, giving up a career-high 11 hits, including a home run to a left-handed batter, Rafael Palmeiro, for only the fourth time in his career.

Finley had given up as many as 10 hits nine times in his career.

Finley, who entered the game with a 11-3 record, was seeking to tie the American League lead of 12 victories held by Minnesota’s Scott Erickson, whose loss Saturday gave the Angels an opportunity to close the Twins’ AL West lead to one game.

Finley went eight innings, needing 141 pitches, and did not once retire the side in order. He gave up four runs, walked three and struck out eight.

The Angels, who had trailed from the outset, made the score 4-4 in the seventh when Gary Gaetti drove in Joyner from third with a two-out single. Joyner had doubled to lead off the inning, and moved to third on Winfield’s groundout. He got back to the bag safely when Dave Parker grounded to third, leaving it up to Gaetti, who had struck out with the bases loaded in the third.

This time, Gaetti delivered.

The Angels, who had trailed, 4-2, cut the lead to one in the sixth inning.

With Luis Sojo on first after an infield single, Luis Polonia drove a pitch deep into the gap in right-center. Sojo scored easily, and Polonia scampered around to third for his sixth triple of the season. He is second in the American League to Milwaukee’s Paul Molitor, who entered Saturday’s games with seven triples.

Texas took a 2-0 lead in the second.

Mike Stanley led off with a double to right-center, moved to third on Gary Green’s sacrifice, and scored on a groundball out by Brian Downing.

With two out, Finley fell behind Palmeiro with two consecutive balls, and then saw Palmeiro become only the fourth left-hander to homer off him in his career, driving the next pitch into the Angel bullpen near the right-field corner.

New York’s Kevin Maas hit one against him May 7. Before that, the only left-handers to homer against Finley were George Brett in 1988 and Fred Lynn in 1987.